Sheila Haynes had no intentions of ending up in the financial industry. After changing her major 3 times, she built up the drive and competiveness to start a career in the finance world. She studied at Louisiana Tech University and acquired a Bachelor of Science in Finance in a little over three years. While working at a Hibernia Bank as a teller throughout college, Sheila made the transition out of the banking and into a financial analyst position at CenturyLink.
A Normal Work Week
Whenever Sheila was asked about her daily schedule, she said, “It is very hectic, but at the end of the day it is very rewarding work that I get to be a part of on a daily basis.” She has become well versed in the areas on macro and microeconomics. On a normal day, her responsibilities involve recommending a course of action for buying and selling stocks based on the stocks overall and future strength. While dealing with stocks, business models must be made to assist in predicting future economic conditions.
Certifications for the Job
While getting a good degree is a main priority, certifications set you apart from the next person who is trying to obtain the same job as you. She says, “I took the series 7 and 63 exam to become well versed in investments and accounting. This ultimately set me apart early in my finance career.” There are many high level scholars that work for the Fortune 200 Company so every little advantage you can make for yourself is very useful.
Working for an Global Company
There are not many companies that can say that they are a successful global company and are continuing to grow every year in many different aspects. Sheila explained, “It has its benefits and downfalls for working in such a large company. There are great growth opportunities to rise up in the company, but job security can be an issue as well.” With expanding companies, sometimes employees become more of a statistic rather than known as individuals. “They have amazing benefit packages that include stock options, great insurance, and matching on retirement funds.” Sheila went on to tell me that job relocations was a plus as well. If something were to come up and she had to move, she could easily relocate to another facility the company has.
Training within the Job
Like most jobs that involve certifications and certain qualifications, CenturyLink incorporates on the job training that varies on which department someone is in. Sheila stated, “The programs that are in use are constantly being upgraded and new programs are being integrated as well because of how much they are expanding. There are classes that must be taken within the department, as well as tests to make sure the co-workers are maintaining the certain level of excellence that is expected in the work environment. CenturyLink and IBM also recently made a public-private partnership with the State of Louisiana to bring more high tech jobs to the local area. Sheila went on to say, “This new expansion shows the quality of employer for the company is always increasing. The training and increased demand for positions within the company is a great thing to see.”
Final Thoughts
Sheila underlined a couple main points that I took away from the interview. She made it clear that she did not get her current position over night. It takes commitment and dedication to your field of choice to reach the goals that one might have. Also she noted, “consistency and thinking for yourself are big things as well. An employer wants someone who can be held accountable and can make independent decisions for themselves.”
Cody Haynes, guest blogger
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